Film / Film and Television

My Perestroika

“Perestroika” literally means restructuring in Russian, and it was also the term used to define the political and social changes that followed the collapse of the USSR. This documentary, “My Perestroika”, captures the ideology and feelings of a small group of Russians who are of […]

Film / Film and Television

30: Minutes or Less

In 2003, a pizza delivery man named Brian Douglas Wells was apprehended by police for robbing a local bank. In a strange twist, Wells revealed to the police that he had a bomb strapped to him. Wells told them that he was an unwilling participant in the robbery; he had been kidnapped, and told by his kidnappers that unless he completed the robbery within a certain time limit, the bomb would explode. A bomb squad was called by the police. Less than 15 minutes later, before the bomb squad could arrive, the bomb exploded, killing Wells.

Film / Film and Television

50/50

Cancer is one of those things you’re not supposed to joke about. Even stand up comedians tend to shy away from the topic, unsure of who in the audience might be personally affected. True, there is isn’t much humor to be found in the subject beyond the standard comic fodder of shaved heads, but every once in a while you manage to find something in the awfulness of the disease that makes for a great story.

Film / Film and Television

Apollo 18

The “found footage” genre is always going to be one of the most scrutinized in film. I have to think that at least 93% of the conversation discussing these kinds of films involve the question of “why did so-and-so keep filming, even when the monster was chasing them?” The audience’s suspension of disbelief, an attribute shared by all successful films, is at its most tenuous during “found footage” films, which include “The Blair Witch Project”, “Paranormal Activity”, and now “Apollo 18”.